throw together dinners

A few nights a week I get a real big urge to make dinner. But typically in my house we don't have too much on hand unless we have our meals planned out before the week starts. So when I get my spontaneous urge to put my culinary skills to good use, I'm pretty much S.O.L. However, there will be a few times where I'll get lucky, and even if we don't have everything I want on hand, I can typically throw something together.

Tonight, I was lucky enough to create an amazing stir fry. Somehow everything came together. And even though I didn't have everything I wanted for the dish, it still worked out. I've found stir fry is something you can put together in an infinite amount of ways. Typically I make it differently everytime. This is how it went tonight:

Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1lb skinless boneless chicken tenderloins, cut into bite sized peices

Vegetable oil

2Tbs chopped garlic

1tps ground ginger

1/2 c chopped carrots

1/2 c chopped brocolli

1/2 c chopped celery

1/2 c chopped red bell pepper

1/4 c onion

1/4 c chopped mushrooms
1/4 c chopped water chesnuts

1c chicken broth
Stir fry sauce
Soy sauce
Duck sauce
3c white rice



I'm being serious when I say I make it different everytime. Varities often include:

Chicken breasts
Beef tenderloin
Shrimp
Fresh ginger
Green onion
Beef broth
Asian noodles
Brown rice
Sesame seeds
Hoison sauce
Oyser Sauce

Really, whatever you want/have.

Directions:

Heat wok/skillet over medium high heat. Add vegetable oil after wok has preheated, turn to coat the pan well. Add chicken. Cook about 8 minutes, but don't stir, let the chicken sit. After is it obvious chicken has cooked thoroughly on first side and most of is has become white, stir. Add ginger and stir more. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and 2Tbs sauce of choice. Cook about 5 more mintues. Transfer chicken to bowl or plate to rest.

Recoat the pan with oil and add vegetables. Add chicken broth and allow to sit and steam, covered, about 15 minutes.

Pour over equal amounts of soy sauce, stir fry sauce and duck sauce.

Return chicken to pan, tossing with the vegetables.

Serve with rice.


You really can't go wrong with this reciepe. Even if you have only a 1/4 of the ingredients listed, you got yourself a pretty tastey stir fry.

ENJOY!